1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains generally to boats, and more particularly to multi-purpose boats that have utility on land, in water of all depths, and on partially or completely ice-covered bodies of water such as frozen lakes, ponds, rivers and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Most modern boats have utility in moderate to deep waters, but provide little to no utility when a person wishes to access shallow waterways, land or frozen bodies of water. Since most people begin a trip to the water from the land, this necessarily is inconvenient.
In some cases, a boat will be stored in a reasonably safe place along the shore of the water, such as at a private dock, in a larger docking facility, or in a marina or harbor. In these cases, the boat cannot remain if the water freezes, since the forces generated by the ice will damage or destroy most boats. Further, not all docking facilities are adequately sheltered from the weather, meaning the boat will need to be moved over land either seasonally, or irregularly based upon the vagaries of the weather. In other cases, the boat will be stored remotely, such as in a garage or other shelter, and then transported to the water.
Most boats are transported across the land using a trailer sized to support the particular boat. This means that when the boat is in the water, the trailer must be stored separately therefrom, requiring extra space. In addition, extra time is required in retrieving the trailer and again in loading and unloading the boat therefrom. In addition, the boat cannot traverse even the smallest of land sections or shallow bodies of water absent the trailer, meaning even small obstacles or short, shallow sections of water can prevent most boats from passing through. Ice will similarly present an insurmountable obstacle to common boats, since the boats have no means for traveling upon the surface of the ice and since the forces, energy and effort to break up and pass through the ice are too great for most boats.
To improve upon the capabilities of standard boats, various artisans have, over time, developed various boats that are capable of traversing both land and water. Exemplary patents that illustrate boats with integral trailers, the teachings and contents of each which are incorporated herein by reference, include U.S. Pat. No. 2,157,186 by Pinter, Sr. et al, entitled “Convertible trailer-boat”; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,568,344 by Burlet, entitled “Combined boat-trailer apparatus”. These combined boats and trailers eliminate the need for the separate land trailer, saving storage and parking space and potentially saving time in entering and leaving the water. Nevertheless, they do not provide independent access to areas other than moderately deep waters, and they offer no utility on ice.
A large variety of amphibious vehicles have also been devised. Exemplary patents that further incorporate hydraulic drive components, the teachings and contents of each which are incorporated herein by reference, include U.S. Pat. No. 3,487,802 by Roy, entitled “Amphibious boat”; U.S. Pat. No. 3,755,835 by Boersig, entitled “Wheeled boat”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,181,478 by Berardi, entitled “Amphibious vehicle with retractable wheels”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,632,221 by Trenne et al, entitled “Amphibious vehicle having retractable ground wheels”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,921,304 by Hewitt, entitled “Amphibious vehicle”; U.S. Pat. No. 7,004,801 by Bryham, entitled “Amphibious vehicle”; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,934,963 by Carambat, entitled “Amphibious vehicle”. These vehicles greatly expand the possibilities for traversing very diverse land and water surfaces, while offering generally good combinations of benefits and relatively few limitations. While these vehicles can greatly expand the accessible areas and reduce the inconveniences of storage and loading and unloading of trailers, they again suffer from undesirable limitations when used upon ice. For example, some of the vehicles are complex and heavy, and so cannot easily traverse thinner ice. If they break through, they do not have the means for propelling through the ice or climbing out therefrom, meaning the vehicle becomes dangerously trapped. Others of these amphibious vehicles simply do not provide features best suited for recreation upon the ice, as will be better understood from contrasting with the present invention. Consequently, to access frozen lakes, rivers, and streams, most people currently rely upon other types of vehicles, such as snowmobiles, All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs), and even automobiles.
In addition to the aforementioned hydraulic drive systems, other power systems may be preferable for particular applications. One of these is a human-powered or power-assisted drive, such as provided by a pedal drive coupling. For exemplary purposes, and not solely limited thereto, when a boat is in very shallow water, particularly with shallow weeds, a typical motor-driven propeller will spin at such a great RPM that the propeller will quickly become thoroughly weed-wrapped. Further, where only small or relatively minor maneuvers are intended, starting and stopping a relatively large engine is both inefficient, costly, and unpleasant, both due to noise or auditory volume and also engine exhaust. There are many situations where a slight amount of repositioning would be highly desirable, and the larger engine is not necessary. In addition, an alternative power system, particularly a human-powered or human-power-assisted drive can be used both for simple or quiet movement, and also in emergency situations as a back-up or redundant system to the main drive system. Exemplary patents that incorporate dual power, including pedal and electric drive systems, the teachings and contents of each which are incorporated herein by reference, include U.S. Pat. No. 7,549,902 by Jansen, entitled “Electric motor assisted propulsion system for human-powered watercraft”; U.S. Pat. No. 7,591,202 by Grube, entitled “Gear box power control system for a small gasoline engine”; 2008/0071436 by Dube et al, entitled “Energy management system for motor-assisted user-propelled vehicles”; 2008/0200079 by Jansen, entitled “Separated electric motor assisted propulsion for human-powered watercraft”; 2011/0180341 by Chan, entitled “Pedal driven apparatus having a motor”; and 2011/0183805 by Chan, entitled “Motor having integrated torque sensor”. Other exemplary dual power watercraft, the teachings and contents of each which are incorporated herein by reference, include U.S. Pat. No. 2,504,833 by Hann, entitled “Internal-combustion outboard motor having auxiliary electric motor for starting and trolling”; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,207,852 by Myers, entitled “Ship propulsion arrangement”.
Exemplary patents that illustrate solely pedal-powered watercraft, the teachings and contents of each which are incorporated herein by reference, include U.S. Pat. No. 4,891,024 by Benjamin, entitled “Pedal boat propulsion system”; U.S. Pat. No. 4,943,251 by Lerach et al, entitled “Pedal operated outboard motor for watercraft”. Additional patents that illustrate pedal systems, the teachings and contents of each which are incorporated herein by reference, include U.S. Pat. No. 2,664,064 by Prenosil, Sr., entitled “Manually operated boat propelling mechanism”; U.S. Pat. No. 2,910,035 by Johnson, entitled “Foot operated marine paddle wheel system”; U.S. Pat. No. 3,039,422 by Baker, entitled “Pedal operated paddle system for boats”; U.S. Pat. No. 3,377,976 by Gustine, entitled “Propelling attachment for a boat”; U.S. Pat. No. 4,496,325 by Tweg, entitled “Collapsible paddle boat”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,165,030 by Lewis, entitled “Pedal driven propulsion device”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,210,242 by Howard et al, entitled “Pedal-powered watercraft”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,217,398 by Davis, entitled “Human-powered or human-assisted energy generation and transmission system with energy storage means and improved efficiency”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,712,653 by Free, entitled “Self-tensioning pedal drive mechanism for a human powered boat”; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,037,149 by Mauzy, entitled “Pedal powered catamaran”.
Other documents, the teachings and contents which are incorporated by reference, include U.S. Pat. No. 2,823,684 by Sartori, entitled “Canopy for boats”; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,515,805 by Johanson, entitled “Folding boat and trailer”.
In addition to the aforementioned patents, Webster's New Universal Unabridged Dictionary, Second Edition copyright 1983, is incorporated herein by reference in entirety for the definitions of words and terms used herein.